In Oakland, Mediocrity Always Goes Down Smooth

Published on: 2nd November, 2009 @ 2:59 pm by JeffG

I used to think that being a porn star would be the best, easiest job in the world.  Getting paid to have sex with hot chicks seemed like a no-brainer.

But I’ve gone and changed my mind, as I’m wont to do.

Now it appears that being the starting QB for the Oakland Raiders is a dream job.  I mean really, where else is the bar set so low for a first round draft pick that going 14 of 22 for 109 yards, zero TD’s and an interception rates as a good performance.

Only in Oakland.

The Raiders lost to the Chargers yesterday 24-16.  No surprise there, the Chargers are the better team, on paper, and on the field.  But when JaMarcus Russell, the Raiders pivot, was asked to assess his performance, he gave himself a glowing review.

“I did a pretty good job,” Russell said. “When it all boils down to it, you had a chance at the end to try and win. Didn’t do too much damage with the interception. No matter what happened, I think we came out and fought despite the score and just kept pushing and just came out short in the end.”

But it gets better.  Apparently coach Tom Cable is as big a fan of mediocrity as Russell is…he agreed with the QB’s assessment.

“I thought he did some really good things that way today,” Oakland head coach Tom Cable said of Russell, whom he benched in last week’s loss to the Jets. “Very much seemed to be in control today … for the most part he gave us a chance to win today and that’s what you ask your quarterback to do.”

Wow.  I wished I had this thought process when I was pulling D’s in high school.  Methinks this clearly and succinctly explains much of what is wrong in Raider Nation.  This embracing of mediocrity, combined with Al Davis’ insanity, makes for a perfect shit-storm in Oakland. [USA Today]

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